Guidelines in Florida

Voter Registration Requirements

You need to be a Florida resident (and a resident of the county in which you'd like to register).

You need to be 16 years old to pre-register to vote (and you may vote if you are at least 18).

You can't currently be legally considered mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state.

You can't have been convicted of a felony without your civil rights having been restored.

If you're a first-time voter who registers by mail, you're required to submit proof of identification either at the time of registration or when you vote. You can include a copy of your identification with your registration form today! Acceptable forms of ID include: a current utility bill, bank statement, valid photo ID, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address.

Don't forget -- your state may have additional ID requirements when you go to the polls.

If you have additional questions about voting in Florida, please contact:

Registration Deadline

Postmarked by: 29 days before Election Day.

Felony Information

Under Florida law, if you've been convicted of a felony and completed all the terms of your sentence (including probation, parole, and the payment of all fines and fees), you may regain your right to register and vote through a process known as the restoration of civil rights. Based on the type of offense for which you were convicted, the process requires either the approval of the governor and/or the state Executive Clemency Board, or, for the most serious offenses, an investigation and hearing. At the completion of your sentence, the Florida Department of Corrections will automatically submit an electronic application for you to the Florida Parole Commission, which will determine whether you are eligible to have your right to vote restored and, if so, which process you must go through. If your right to vote is restored, you will receive a certificate in the mail at your last known mailing address. This certificate documents your eligibility to register and vote. For more information about having your right to vote restored, visit the Florida Executive Clemency Board's website or call them at 1-800-435-8286.

Information for Students

You must be a resident of the state in which you register and vote. If you're a student from Florida who attends school in another state, you may need to determine whether you're a Florida resident or a resident of the state where you attend school. The important thing to keep in mind is that you may only cast your vote in one state.

Here's what Florida says about residency: Under Florida law, your residence for voting purposes is where you intend it to be, to the exclusion of any other location, and which can be factually supported by such evidence as voter registration, driver's license, tax receipts, receipt of mail, and engaging in activities normally indicative of home life. You cannot be prevented from exercising your right to vote in the community in which you plan to live for the duration of your college education simply because of the possibility that you will move to another state or county following your graduation.

If you determine you're a Florida resident, but will not be present in this state or will be away from your home district on Election Day, be sure to check the absentee ballot application requirements and deadlines. In addition, Florida residents who attend school in-state, but in a different election district, may be eligible to register and vote in the election district where they live while attending school.

To determine whether you're a resident of a different state where you attend school, be sure to check that state's residency requirements.

Identification Information

Florida says that you need to bring ONE of the following forms of identification:

Florida driver's license, or

Florida identification card, or

U.S. passport, or

Debit or credit card, or

Military identification, or

Student identification, or

Retirement center identification, or

Neighborhood association identification, or

Public assistance identification

If your photo identification does not contain your signature, you will be required to show an additional form of identification that provides a signature.

Same Day Registration

No

Early Voting Information

In Florida, you don't have to wait until Election Day to vote. You can skip Election Day lines and vote early at a time that's convenient for you.

Vote Early in Person

All voters in Florida can vote in person before Election Day at designated early voting site beginning 10 days before an election and ending on the third day before the election. Some counties and municipalities may also offer early voting 15 days before an election.

Vote Early by Mail

You can also vote before Election Day by completing an absentee ballot and submitting it by mail.

Request an absentee ballot on your county Supervisor of Elections' website or by contacting your Supervisor of Elections' office in person, by mail, or by phone. Your Supervisor of Elections' office must receive your request by 5:00 p.m. on the 6th day before the election.

Your mail-in ballot must be completed and in the hands of the County Clerk by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.